Breakdown of kaigityuu ni mizu wo nonde mo ii desu.
をwo
direct object particle
水mizu
water
飲むnomu
to drink
にni
time particle
会議kaigi
meeting
〜て も いい〜te mo ii
to be permitted to
〜中〜tyuu
during 〜
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Questions & Answers about kaigityuu ni mizu wo nonde mo ii desu.
What is the grammar pattern behind 飲んで＋も＋いい?
This is the permissive pattern “V-te + も + いい(です)”, meaning “It’s okay if you V” or simply “You may V.” The も here is the concessive も (“even if”), but as a set phrase it marks permission.
Why is 飲んで in the te-form?
The te-form of a verb is used to connect to もいい. You take the verb 飲む, change it to 飲んで, and then add もいい to form the permission expression.
Can you drop the も and just say 飲んでいいです?
Yes. 飲んでいい (or 飲んでいいです) is a more casual way to give permission. The nuance is nearly identical, but the textbook-standard polite pattern is て-form + も + いいです.
Why is there a に after 会議中? Can it be omitted?
会議中 means “during the meeting” and already acts adverbially, so in colloquial speech you often omit に:
会議中、水を飲んでもいいです。
Adding に (会議中に) treats it explicitly as a time-location noun (“in/during the meeting”), which is also perfectly correct.
Why is 水 marked with を?
Because 飲む is a transitive verb that takes a direct object. 水を飲む literally means “to drink water.” The particle を marks 水 as the thing being drunk.
What role does です play at the end?
いい is an i-adjective meaning “good/okay.” To make the sentence polite, you often add です after an adjective: いいです. In casual speech, you could simply say 飲んでもいい without です.
How do you turn this into a question to ask for permission?
Change いいです to いいですか:
会議中に水を飲んでもいいですか？
This means “May I drink water during the meeting?”
How do you express prohibition (i.e., “You must not drink water”)?
Use the negative prohibition pattern て-form + は + いけません:
会議中に水を飲んではいけません。
This means “You must not drink water during the meeting.”
What’s a more formal way to ask for permission than いいですか?
You can use よろしいでしょうか:
会議中に水を飲んでもよろしいでしょうか？
This is more polite and suitable for very formal or business contexts.
What’s the difference between 飲んでもいい and 飲んでもかまいません?
Both grant permission:
- 飲んでもいい (“it’s okay if you drink”) is common and neutral.
- 飲んでもかまいません (“I don’t mind if you drink”) is slightly more formal or impersonal. The nuance of かまわない focuses on “I don’t mind.”